


I ain't no coward

by Elder_Higgins



Category: Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Canon Era, Davey is a nerd, Internalized Homophobia, Love Confessions, M/M, Papes, artist!jack, i love them together, jack is an idiot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-08
Updated: 2019-02-08
Packaged: 2019-10-24 07:00:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17699774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elder_Higgins/pseuds/Elder_Higgins
Summary: “Whatever you have to say, just say it to my face you coward.” So, he did because Jack Kelly was no coward.





	I ain't no coward

The bell tower of the church rung out five times, waking the newsboys from their slumber. Up on the fire escape, Jack Kelly had been up for hours next to an oil lantern he lifted off the back of a fruit stall last week. He still had some scraps of paper saved up and it wasn’t raining, so he decided to draw. Draw the long curve of a nose, inquisitive eyes hidden by a mop of brown hair, and a tongue poking out from between a pair of lips as it always does when he’s focused. 

He made a few final strokes, capturing the enthusiasm of Davey Jacobs face when he had shown Jack the strike had made front page. _“Above the fold,”_ As he had so affectionally put it. The mere thought of it brought a smile to Jack’s face. He was such a dork, but in the best ways imaginable. Davey was smart and funny and determined, not to mention attractive. Most importantly, he was everything Jack dreamed the love of his life would be. 

“Yous comin’ Cowboy?” Race called out in a muffled voice, he was speaking around his cigar with his sticking his head out the window, as always. Jack groaned and carefully folded the picture to slip in with the rest of the work. “Hold ya horses, Racer. Can’t a fella have a few moments to himself.” He laughed and began to climb down the fire escape. 

With his head out of the clouds and his feet firmly on the ground, Jack began to focus on what was truly important. Selling papes. The Newsies made the daily trek to buy their newspapers, before splitting off to their selling spots. It was 88 degrees and quite sunny for the beginning of May. Still, Jack loved it. The weather reminded him of Santa Fe. 

“Hey, Jackie!” A shout from across the street snapped Jack out of his thoughts. It was a voice that couldn’t belong to anyone other than- “Davey! Wanna come sellin’ with me today?” Jack yelled over the bustle of a waking city. He saw the taller boy grin at that offer. It wasn’t every day someone got to sell with the esteemed Jack Kelly. Soon enough, Davey had crossed the street, falling in step with Jack, and talking excitedly about this new formula he had learned in arithmetic. 

“Daves, I haven’t the slightest clue as ta what yous is goin’ on about,” Jack said, grinning nevertheless. He would listen to Davey talk about anything. It was a symphony to his ears, like a paint brush against canvas. At that remark the other scoffed, pressing his unsold papers to his chest in a dramatic display of betrayal. “How dare you insult me so,” Davey feigned offence, but couldn’t keep from laughing. He had been giddier around Jack lately, less uptight, as if he trusted him. 

Jack thought back to the drawing back at the Penthouse, wondering if Davey would find that weird. He had always been supportive of Jack’s dreams to go to art school, but would he feel the same if he found out the drawings were of him? Would he be disgusted at the amount of detail Jack put into them? Would he drag him to the cops for being a . . . a dirty queer? Certainly not, that wasn’t Davey, but one could never be certain. It was always the people closest to your heart that hurt you the worst. 

Davey stopped walking and tugged Jack off to the side. “Hey, Jackie, what’s wrong? You’ve been doing this a lot lately.” His chocolate eyes swam with worry, but Jack denied any cause for concern. “What do ya mean? I’m A-Okay.” He even through a rather unconvincing fake smile, one he regretted as soon as it made its way onto his face. 

The taller of the two boys rolled his eyes, “Yer a terrible liar, Jackie. Plus, you’ve been getting this mopey look on yer face every time I start talking.” At that Davey cut himself off with a nervous laugh, “It’s like you don’t want me around anymore.” Then Jack saw it, a look of pain and insecurity sweep across Davey’s face for the briefest of seconds. He was _hurting_ him. The thought of causing him any pain was a punch to the gut. 

“No! No, Daves, of course I want ya ‘round. Yer my best friend,” Jack couldn’t help but flinch at the word ‘friend,’ he wanted to be so much more. As always, Davey was quick to note the movement, face twisting into a scowl. “I’m serious,” Jack continued, “It’s something else, but I can’t. . . I don’t want to talk about it?” He finished lamely, sounding rather unsure of himself.” 

Davey rolled his eyes in disgust, “Oh? So, you can call me your best friend, but I don’t get to know what has you so reticent?” Jack didn’t answer, he had no clue what ‘reticent’ meant. “For god’s sake Jackie, I’m asking why you won’t talk to me,” Davey whined, hating the way his voice got all high pitched and desperate, but he needed to know. He couldn’t live with himself if Jack hated being around him. 

“Look, I’s just can’t tell ya, jeez. No big deal,” Jack was becoming rather annoyed. If he started talking about it, there was no telling how much he would reveal before it was too late. Before Davey was disgusted with his lifestyle. He refused to talk, but Davey knew his weaknesses, he knew exactly how to get Jack to talk. 

“Whatever you have to say, just say it to my face you coward.” So, he did because Jack Kelly was no coward. 

Jack grabbed Davey roughly by the fresh pressed collar of his shirt and threw him into the nearest alley. Davey clenched his eyes shut, waiting for the soakin’ that was sure to follow these aggressive movement, but the fists never came. When he opened his eyes, Jack was making sure they were alone. “Yer not going to hit me?” Davey asked in disbelief and to his relief Jack laughed. 

“And why the hell would I’s do that, Daves? Why would I soak the one person who- who makes me feel more like myself that I’s has in years. Davey, I’s can’t get you outta my head. Yer smile, God Davey, that smile lights up my life. That little thing you’s do with yer tongue when yer concentratin’, I want to kiss you so bad when you do that. I’s think about you’s all the time, Dave. _All the time,_ and it scares me so bad. You’s is my best friend. I’s shouldn’t be feeling that for any man, but my best friend, that’s even worse,” Jack’s voice wavered as he spoke, slowly gaining speed until he was rambling and out of breath. Part of him wanted so desperately to look at the wall when he spoke, but he was no coward; he looked Davey in the eye the entire time. 

Davey nodded, taking everything in slowly. He stared down at Jack, his lip doing the thing, the one that Jack just said he loved so much. “Can I kiss you?” Davey asked softly, stepping closer to Jack. “Aw, don’t joke around with me like that, Daves,” Jack scowled, narrowing his eyes at his best friend who only laughed. 

“I wasn’t joking,” Davey chuckled, closing the space between them and pressing his lips softly against Jack’s. The aforementioned boy melted into the kiss, eyes fluttering closed. His hands found their way to Davey’s hips and pulled him closer. Jack was pressed against a wall as Davey deepened the kiss. What was once gentle and cautious turned into a serious of passionate kisses, filled with teeth and tongues. They were desperate to lose themselves in the taste of each other. The only thing that stopped it was their need to breathe. 

“You really think about me all the time?” Davey asked when they pulled apart, foreheads resting against one another. Jack let out a breathy laugh, “I do, sometimes I even draw ya.” That made Davey smile even wider, the kind of smile that made Jack’s knees weak. He went in for another kiss, one that was happily returned. 

**Author's Note:**

> As always kudos/comments/constructive criticism are appreciated! I am striving to be the best writer I can be, but I need your help :)


End file.
